Came across a gruesome piece of news this evening. Not able to get it out of my head.
Edited on 12/13/2012 with the following note: The original version of this article contained partial quotes from the below linked articles with proper link attribution. I consider this fair-use and not scraped content as defined by Google. Yet, Google informed me that this violates their policies. Therefore, I removed the quoted portions of the articles. You can read the full articles from the links below.
Wipro staffer raped, killed in Yahoo! News
BPO shocker exposes lapses in Telegraph India
Wipro cabbie not new to crime, say cops in Times of India
BPO cabbies' profiles not checked in Times of India
This news is particularly chilling for us (myself and thousands of other Indians) because we have female siblings, relatives and friends who work in Indian tech industry, travelling at odd hours in cabs and rickshaws. Just like the boyfriend of the victim in this latest incident, we have been on the phone with our relatives and friends, while they travelled to or from their offices at odd hours. It is all too easy to imagine the worst happening to our near and dear ones...
It is not just the female employees who are in danger. Just this morning, I read several reports of male employees of tech companies in Bengalooru being assualted, kidnapped and murdered for their money. Some of these incidents involved crimbes by drivers of cabs for the companies of the victims.
In Dec 2005, when writing about another rape and murder incident of a BPO employee in Bangalore, I had quoted Wipro's measures to ensure the safety of their employees as a good example of what should be done. Ironically, this latest incident has happened despite those measures being in place. Rules and processes are only as good as how well they are practiced.
Being a tech industry insider I know that not all rules and processes are followed - this includes even the processes that are part of our core work. Over a period of time, things become lax, omissions and errors creep in. Every company's management is aware of this. As such, Wipro (and other companies) should have more stringent reviews and audits in place to ensure that the rules which affect the physical security of their employees should be practiced with no lapses.
I know that the rules governing the security of the office locations, gates, access to certain areas, cameras inside the office, etc. are very stringently practiced in Wipro. So, it is difficult to understand how in the matter of employee's physical safety, there could have "been a criminal manipulation of our processes", as admitted by T K Kurien, Wipro BPO's president himself.
But I am not blaming the company alone. Every individual also has a responsibility to be extra vigilant and take precautions for personal safety. The lamentable and ineffective state of law enforcement and judicial system in India makes criminals incredibly brazen, almost to the point of being stupid. Yet, they get away with their crimes more often than not, which is what makes them so brazen and reckless. In such an atmosphere nobody can afford to be careless when it comes to personal safety.
The perpetrators of this crime should get the most stringent punishment and hope they get it soon. The criminal of the 2005 rape and murder case in Bengalooru I referred to earlier, has still not been sentenced, while the trial proceedings drag on. This despite that case being pursued in a 'fast track' manner by the court system!
Hopefully, this incident makes everyone extra vigilant.
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Cab Drivers commiting such Henious Crimes Should be hanged till Death. I am also employee of Call Center, I am wondering what these private companies are doing towards safety of Female employee's. This is second incident after Bangalore HP incident.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very shocking news ! Chills ran down my spine as I am a part of the Infotech/BPO industry too. We hear about such incidents, talk about it for a few days and then we forget. What happens to the Criminal? What kind of punishment does he get? What kind of judicial system do we have to eradicate such beings so that they are not able to even think of such a thing. I sincerely doubt that these kind of criminals really get the punishment that they deserve. I hope we read more on what fate this criminal has met rather then the incident itself..
ReplyDeleteSupi
This is a very shocking incident for all, as this is repeatedly happening in our country very often. As everyone is aware that in todays future working even at night shifts has become mandatory even for females isin't it time for our forces to take necessary action to provide preventive measures to arrange for police patrolling very often.Do think over it????????
ReplyDeleteThis is a very shocking incident for all, AS BPO Means a Night shift ,as its The Company who was responsible for that incident , befor the Feemale was Picked up It was to checked hom many Employers are going to be come at that shift along with her , as there was only 1 Male emplyee with her inspiste of a guard
ReplyDeleteI am on a personal quest to search Blogs by BPO employees. I am one too so I want to see how my peers have to say on their journals. Have hit a few interesting ones and got a chance to know a few people too. Just ran across this new BPO Union blog while surfing. Seems like a great effort. What I particularly like about it is the very logical approach they have and they want to keep it online only. As a fellow employee I want to share with you - http://bpounion.wordpress.com. Worth a visit.
ReplyDeleteRaghu
Raghu,
ReplyDeleteI am not a BPO worker. Nevertheless, thanks for sharing the link to the BPO Union blog. I wish the blog success.
LL
No thing how such u agitate your brain in disdain, BPO is going to remain pet among the employees !!!
ReplyDelete...............
ayaskanta